The year’s end tends to bring up a lot for people. What’s passing through your mind? How does your body feel? What’s it like to be you in this moment?

Many people are rushing about here and there trying to get things done. There is a mixture of excitement and stress in the air. Sometimes I feel like a bird watching all this from above, wondering with perplexity: what’s all this commotion? But I think I’m beginning to understand. There is a furor to the frenzy, an intoxication to the mania. The bustle gives us a sense of aliveness, even as it wears down our body-mind. 

It takes time to get accustomed to sitting still and being present to what is. It takes a lot of unlearning to better take care of ourselves. 

Some people think to be spiritual means always being calm, quiet and slow. I don’t believe that’s true, and that’s not what I’m advocating. Sometimes, we need our deadlines to address a real emergency; other times the deadlines are arbitrary. I do think it is important to realize when we are just using activity to escape from ourselves. 

Rather than focusing on what more you need to do, how about spending some time looking back on how far you have come? For a few years now, I’ve been keeping track of the things I’ve done throughout the year. They aren’t necessary big accomplishments — many of the things I’ve noted are just small things, like trying a new breathing technique, reconnecting with someone or attending an enjoyable event. I don’t use this exercise to assess my performance at the end of the year. This list of experiences allows me to remember all the things that are shaping who I am becoming. 

When I look at my list, I can perceive a sense of direction in my life. I also see some happy surprises — experiences that I could not have anticipated no matter how creative I tried to be. Those surprises are the precious gems; without them, life becomes a series of tasks on a checklist. 

By remembering these simple yet special moments, we may feel a different excitement for life. We don’t know what will come, but we know something new will emerge. How do we know this? Because it always has — that’s the nature of things. Trusting that good things will come can provide us with solace in times of uncertainty in the days ahead. It may also fill us with a sense of gratitude. What’s on your list of experiences in 2022?